Read Online Winter's End by Clarissa Cartharn - Free Book Online Page B

children laughing. She smiled at first and increased her
pace to join them. But something stilled her instead. Their laughter possessed
a cheeriness that she had not heard in a long time- ever since they had left
London. It was then she heard his voice and her heart almost froze. Richard was
here.

 
    *****

 
    She stood at the door
of the living room as she watched Richard pick Hannah up onto his lap. Jai was
hovering over him, detailing his new school life and new found friends. They
giggled while they watched Jai comically demonstrate an antic that had landed
him into trouble with the teacher.
    His jet black hair
was still trimmed short, like the day when she had first met him. But today he
was dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a tee shirt that snug tightly to his
body.   She could tell that he maintained
his regular schedule to the gym. And when he looked up at her with his blue
eyes, she almost melted into them.
    “Hi,” he said, rising
to his feet. “I didn’t see you arrive.”
    “Shouldn’t that be my
line,” she said with a hint of friendly sarcasm. “When did you come?”
    “About half an hour
ago. The children told me you went on your walk,” he smiled, his eyes ran over
the details in her face. “You still do that? Go for walks?”
    She smiled. “It keeps
me sane.”
    He came nearer. “How
have you been?”
    “Good. We’ve been
good.   The children are well-adjusted.
Their school is quite close so I don’t have any trouble picking or dropping them
off. And they rave so much about their friends and teachers that I know they
love it.”
    He put a finger to
her cheeks and brushed away a rebellious strand of hair. “I meant, how were you ?”
    Fixated by his eyes,
she answered, “I’ve been well.” She felt the tips of his fingers spark an
electric current in her nerves and she pulled away immediately.
    “How is business?”
she said, quickly.
    “Never been better. We’ve
expanded our Hardwick Street office. We even secured a huge multi-million
dollar contract in New York, which did involve a lot of initial work, late
nights and all. It’s why I couldn’t come any sooner,” he said slowly and added
quietly. “I wish I could and I did try, Emma. But things didn’t work out as I
wanted them.”
    “So you sent Mr.
Collins,” she thought to herself.   She felt
a spark of anger rising inside her. Attempting to brush it away, she said “I’ll
make us some tea?”
    “Emma,” he said,
touching her gently at her elbows.
    She hesitated but
only momentarily. “Well, maybe I should get dinner ready too.”

 
    *****

 
    Emma prepared a delicious
beef sirloin roast with mushrooms and creamy, mashed potatoes on the side. She
nibbled at it slowly while Jai and Hannah continued to entertain their Uncle
Richard. He clearly was enjoying both the dinner and the company. She, on the
other hand, couldn’t wait to be alone in her bedroom.
    “I can’t believe how
much I missed your cooking, Emma,” he said.
    She realised then
that he had been watching her. She didn’t answer but walked silently away with
her plate to the sink and began clearing the dishes.
    Richard rose to help
her.
    An uncomfortable
silence lingered between them as they cleaned up the kitchen, trying to avoid
clashing into one another.
    “When are you
leaving?” she asked at last.
    Richard pulled out a
plate from the dish-washer and wiped it dry, looking at her out of the corner
of his eyes as he did.
    “I’ve just come,
Emma. And you’re already sending me away? Where are your manners?” he teased.
    She gave him a
scornful look before marching into her bedroom.
    She didn’t want to
talk to him. She didn’t want to argue with him. Hell, it was hard just seeing
him there.
    She climbed into bed,
praying when she woke up in the morning, it would be all a dream. And that she
would be once again happy in Skye, like the way she had been- alone.

 
    *****

 
    She was running
through the dense woods. Something was